Shaiman wrote original songs for the musical-based television show for NBC, Smash, as well as served as Executive Producer. For their song "Let Me Be Your Star," Shaiman and co-lyricist Scott Wittman were nominated for both an Emmy Award and a Grammy Award, and as Executive Producers they were nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series - Comedy or Musical.

In 2008 a controversy erupted nationwide when California Musical Theatre's then artistic director resigned over the revelation of his personal donation of $1000 to a political campaign to support California proposition 8. The proposition—which would amend the state constitution to limit marriage between a man and woman—passed, and donor information became public. Shaiman and other Broadway artists who had previously worked with the director became critical and called for a boycott of the theatre by all gay artists and performers ending in the directors resignation days later.